Cow-tail holder.



G. W.- SALMON.

COW TAIL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 27, l9l3- Patentd June 20, 1916.

1 WITNESSES: 11v VENTOR;

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASHINGTON, D. c. I

GEORGE W. SALMON, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

COW-TAIL HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June so, 1916.

Application filed February 27, 1913. Serial No. 751,052.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon W. SALMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Cow-Tail Holder, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to appliances for use in dairies, on farms, or elsewhere for preventing cows from switching their tails into the milk pail or into the face of the milker when the cows are invention having reference more particularly to readily adjustable means for holding a cows tail in such position as to prevent the cow from moving the bush or end of the tail and without discomfort to the animal.

An object of the invention is to'provide an improved cow tail holder that shall be so constructed as to be adapted to be produced cheaply and to be practical and efficient, to the end that cleanliness in the dairy may be encouraged.

A further object is to provide an improved cow tail holder that shall be so constructed that it shall be adapted to be applied to the animal alone in order that the animal may be free to shift its position slightly when standing and rest itself.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved cow tail holder that shall be relatively small. and of light weight in order that it may he cheaply shipped from the factory and be readily carried about the user, and which may in some cases be made by the user of such materials as he may have at hand.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in a cow tail holder comprising a comhinedhook and clasp, and flexible self-adjusting means for hanging the combined hook and clasp on an animal for holding the tail. of the animal against the animals body. And the invention consists further in the novel parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts ashereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a cow to which the improved tail holder is applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the opposite side of the cow showing the invention applied being milked, the

thereto; Fig. 3 is a side view partially broken away showing the invention slightly modified; Fig. t is a side view of the combined hook and clasp; and Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings indicate like parts or features of construction herein referred to.

In practically carrying out the objects of the invention the combined hook and clasp is preferably formed of a single piece of suitable spring wire which is bent nearly upon itself intermediately of but at a point somewhat nearer one end than the opposite end thereof, whereby an approximately U shaped loop 1 is formed from which extends two rods 2 and 3 divergently a short distance and thence following opposite curves and converging toward the farther portions thereof, so that the middle portions .are curved outwardly and adapted to be grasped in the hand of the operator to he forced each toward the other. The rod 2 is bent outward and back toward itself whereby a crook 4C is formed from which extends'a tongue 5 having a curved end portion 6 that extends away from the rod 2 to form a throat into which the tail of the animal may readily be received. By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the tongue 5 does not extend exactly on the plane of the two rods 2 and 3, but owing to a slight lateral bend made in forming the crook 4; the tongue extends from the crook over slightly to one side of the plane of the two rods for a purpose which will presently appear. The wire forming the rod 3 has a curved portion 7 at a suitable distance from the end of the wire which brings the finger-like end portion 8 of the rod over toward the crook 1 but somcwhat beyond it. This enables the operator when drawing the rods 2 and 3 together to draw the curved portion 7 up past the curved extremity 6 of the hook and let the rod 3 spring back and pass behind the extremity 6 against the side of the rod 2 and thence down to the crock 4 or against the tail of the cow.

A flexible line of any suitable material is connected to the loop 1 and may comprise a cord 9 to which is connected a horse-shoe 10 to serve as a weight, or any other suitable weight may be employed for the purpose, and if desired a relatively light weight cheaply formed chain 11 may be con- V of a line or cable,

7 container such as a j and 3, which serve stones orpebbles Qand draws the hook over the tail 16 of the cow so as to bring the hook down near to s the rod 3 toward the the bush 17 of the tail, after which he forces end portion 8 between the rod 2 and the tQngue5 ofthe hookand let it press against a the tail of the animal and thereby force the tail against thecrook 4, not with suflicientforce however to annoy the animal, but

, preventing the hook from slipping over the the line along the left side of the animal and V brings-"the weighted end. over to the right bushi, The operator subsequently carries sideandlets the line rest upon the back l8 justforward of the hip bones 19 of the 1 animal, the

" endin u on the size Weight resting againstthe right side of the animals body While the bush of the tail is-drawn against the left side of the body in such position that the animal is powerless to switch its tail. The weight, as will be understood, may be readily lifted or it maybe lowered so as to adjust the position of the tail "as'may be desired, de-

of the animal and the length of itstail, The holder may be readilyreinoved from the tail by first Withdrawcopies' pit this patentma i be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the rod 2 so as to bring the purpose set'forth.

ing the finger-like extension 8 from the hook and then releasing the hook from the tail. The milkman mayjconveniently carry the holder from place to place by hanging it on his shoulders hands.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is g The herein-described cow-tail holder comprising a flexible cable having two devices permanently connected to its two opposite ends respectively, the cable being adapted to lie on and extend over beyond opposite while carrying pails in his sides of the back portion of the cow forward of the hips thereof and frictionally resist longitudinal sliding movement of the cable thereon, one of the devices consisting of a combined spring hook and clasp appliance connected at one end thereof to the cable and having a crook to embrace the tail and also a tongue to yieldingly hold the tail in the crook, the appliance being adapted to frictionally clasp the cows tail and slide to the bush of the tail, the remaining one of the devices consisting of a substantially flat and relatively broad weight element connected at one end thereof to the cable and adapted to lie flatly withoutrolling on the side of the cow, as and for the In testimony whereof, I aifix presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE XV. SALMON.

Witnesses:

' MAY MOMILLAN,

'E. T. SILVIUS.

my signature Commissioner 01' l'atenii.

Washington, ZDQ G." 

